Bubble tower cap



H. E. WIDDELL BUBBLE TOWER CAP Filed Dc. 21, 1923 June Z, 1931.

INVENTOR. /f/yMQ/x ORNEY.

amaai-m 2, 1931 UNITED STATE-sj munir 1r. wmrm, or maas Grrr, uissouai, Assieivon 'ro easornm raonuczrs conm me. or waarnemen, nmwaaa, a coaroiwnoiv or nmwm BUBBLE TOWER CAP Anuman mea nember 21, 199e'. semi no. esimo.-

fractions from the vapors.

.Ainv the obects of the invention are to provi e a bu le tower construction for the treatment of vapors such as hydrocarbon vapors in the production of motor fuel oil such as gasoline and the like, whereby automatic provision is made for accommodating an excess volume of vapors passing through the towr `without causing them to surgeor blow over the liquid material; 2 to provide a construction whereb the relatively higher boiling point -hy ocarbons ma be most eiectively sc parated from the hydrocarbon vapors in or er that only the lighter fractions or gasoline-like products may ass over and be iinallyjcondensed as di, te, and, in ,to rovide a construction of the c aralcter reerred to.

' In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of theltower with parts roken away to show the internal construction.

Fig. 2v is an enlarged sectional view taken through one of the hoods or caps.

Fig. 3 isa plan view partly. in section o the construction shown in Fig. 2 with a portion of the cap broken away.

Referrin to the drawings: At 1 is s own a tower which is provided with a" vapor inlet pipe 2 and a vapor outlet 4 line 3 controlled by a valve 4. At the bottom. ,of the tower is provided a liquid drawoi line 5 regulated by a valve 6. Within the tower are arranged a plurality of shelves or pans 7 which are equipped with short standpipes or risers 8 which serve as passageways or the vapors rising successively from the lower partitions or pans to the top of the tower. The pans are also equipped with "ver-` tical stand ipes 9 Awhich serve izo-maintain a o liquid lev on the respective pans and direct the overflow or excess liquid to the next lower pan below. In this connection it will be noted'that thev lower end of each of these standpipes is immersed inthe pool of liquid below in order that the va rs shall not be venting the downiiow of excess liquid and proper functioning of the tower. The risers on the separate pans arevhooded b caps 10 which serve to'reverse the flow of t e va. rs downwardly about the outside of the risers and cause them to p ercolate or bubble up through the-liquid w ich ismaintained at a constant level by the standpipes 9. These caps consist of a dishlportion which is pref# erably serrated along the lower edge, as shown at 10a. They are supported on the risers by shouldered lugs 10b which mount the ca s on the risers so as to leave an annular space etween the top of the risers and the inside to of the ca and also between the sides of t e risersan the interior surface of/ the caps. lhus a passage is provided for the vapors rising downwardly around the outside of the risers and be discharged through the serrated edges of the .caps into the liquid pools wherein the separation and absorption ofthe higher boil- -ing point fractions takes lace. On the top of the ca s are two horn-li e members, shown at 10c, w ose function is to limit the vertical 'movement of the caps in case an excess of va- Kors are discharged through the risers and ave suilicient l pressure 'to raise the caps.

These limitin horns contact the pan above and prevent t e ca s from being displaced -from the risers. T is vertical movement ofthe respective caps is an important function, as it greatly increases the capacity of the risers for a limited period of time during the sudden evolution or accumulation of vapors,1

at the same time,l materially reducin the from the pool -below to pass diverted 'through'the stan pipes, thus preao f possibility of surging and puking o the tower. A suddenA excess pressure is often caused by the presence of moisture in the oilv and theq presence of steam in the vapors.

In the normal types ofconstructiom'the .caps arexedly held on the tops of the risers,

thus givfnga relatively'ixed capacity to the and the tower'as a whole, and in case of an emergency, suchas that explained, the

excess vapors will Vcause the towel; to surge and liquid to pass over with the vapors to the condensing apparatus. Surging or puking of the tower is undesirable, as it contaminates the distillate with objectionable fractions which must be subsequently separated or extracted by retreatment before the product is marketable.

A tower, such as that herein described, provided with the movable caps or hoods, furnishes a certain amount of flexibility, the construction bein such as to accommodate an excessive evo ution or accumulation of vapors within arelatively wide range without materially hindering the tower operavdenly rise through the tower an tion. Wherean excess volume of va use and functioningwillsuflice.

v.so

Vapors are introduced to the bottom of the tower, through the line 2, from a still or any suitable type of treating apparatus, such as Y a common type of atmospheric still or a cracking system in which pressures are used. The vapors introduced into the lower part of the tower rise upwardly through the suc cessive stages comprising a plurality of pools which are maintained on the pans des- `1 ated as 7 in the drawings.- In each of t ese pans, certain of the liquid products are separated out, as each of the successive pools y, is cooler as the vapors rise toward the top of the tower. `As explained, liquid levels are maintained by the standpipes while the va- I pors, passingup through the risers succes- 'sively from one pool to the next above, are diverted by the caps downwardly and caused to percolate through the pools where there is a certain amount of absorption taking place inaddition to the `normal separation due merely to the cooling or condensing action. From the top pool the vapors pass off through the perforated plate 11 and the vapor line into condensing and cooling stages not shown.

The particular feature of the invention 'herein disclosed is the provisionmade for the vertical movement of the ca s which permits an automatic enlargemelbg@ the vapor passages from one pool to another which will accommodate an excess of vapors, without hindering the tower operation and reducing, and substantially eliminating any tendency which the tower may have to blow over the liquid with the vapors into the condensing stage of the system. As described,

this surging or puking of the tower is particularly fre uent where moisture is present in the oil. t is appreciated that the construction ma be varied in numerous ways to accomplis this result, namely, in place 'of the limiting horns mounted on top of the which the vapors are treated in a. tower of. 'this character.

I claim as my invention:

1. Caps for vapor risers for use in towers of the bubble type having trays spaced apart suiciently to permit vertical movement of the caps on the risers, comprising cap units having serrated lower edges, vapor risers upon which the caps are mounted, means on the lcaps for automatically limiting the upward movement of the caps and enlargement of the vapor passage. r 1

2. Caps for vapor risers ifor use in towers of the bubble type in which the distance between the trays would permit vertical movement of the caps 'on the risers, comprising cap units, movably mounted on the risers, meanson the caps for limiting the automatic enlargement of the, vapor neath with the excessyflow o the tower.

3. Caps for vapor risers for use in towers of the bubble type in which the distance between the trays would permit vertical movement of the caps on the risers, comprising cap units movably mounted on said risers, extensions on the tops of the caps for limiting their vertical movement, said extensions vapors through passage therebe-A adapted to prevent dismounting of the cap from the risers, the movement of the caps relative to the risers compensating for they changes in volume of the vapors passing through the risers. t

4. Caps for vapor risers for use in towers of the bubble type in which the distance between the trays would permit vertical movement of the-ca son the risers, comprising cap unitsmova ly mounted on said risers, extensions on the tops of the caps for limiting their vertical movement to a predetermlned degree, said extension adaptedto prevent dismounting of the caps from the risers, the movement" of the caps relative to the risers compensating for the changes in volume of the vapors passing through the risers.

5. .A bubble tower cap .comprising a dish portion adapted to be mounted on a vapor riser and having serrated edges and vertical extensions projecting from the top of the cap for the purpose described.

6. A cap for use in bubble towers comprising a dish portion adapted to be mounted on a. vapor riser in spaced relation thereto, and t means carried by the cap to its upward movement.

7. A cap for risers in bubble towers oom- 5 prising a dish portion adapted to be mounted on a vapor r1se1j, and integral dametric vertical extensions.

NRY E. WIDDEIQL 

